Belthil and Glingal seem to have been made early in the history of Gondolin, and stood in the courts of the King throughout the history of that city (that is, for approximately five hundred years). They were presumably destroyed at the time of the Fall of Gondolin, though we have no clear account of their fate. We do know that in that ruinous battle Ecthelion fought Gothmog beneath the tower of Turgon, so their combat would have taken place in the shadow of Belthil and Glingal. Soon afterwards the tower itself fell, and perhaps this spelt the end of the silver tree. Within a century even the ruins of Gondolin would be overcome by the Sea, and at that time anything that remained of Belthil would have been lost beneath the rushing waters of Belegaer.

Notes

1

The name 'Belthil' seems to have originated as a rare name for the White Tree of Valinor, Telperion itself. So, Turgon's choice of name for his work was not original: instead he chose one of the many true names of the tree whose image he was creating.